


Trouble

by spacefucker



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Hurt Bucky, Hurt Tony, Lab Accidents, M/M, compromise is key in relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 11:26:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8326000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacefucker/pseuds/spacefucker
Summary: Bucky and Tony breakup. But then a call from the hospital has Bucky re-evaluating his reasoning.





	

“I may as well not be dating you at all.” Bucky hissed.

Tony stood there in the open door of Bucky’s dorm room, confused and with a large bag of Chinese takeout in his hands. He wasn’t even remotely sure what was going on or what had started this. Tony was obviously missing something.

“What?”

Bucky half-laughs and shakes his head, “This is the first time I’ve seen you this week. We go to the same school and I don’t even _see_ you most of the time.”

“I’m busy?” Tony says it like it’s a question. “I’ve been working on a new project. My first attempt at AI.”

“So what? You’re too busy to even just text me?” Bucky frowns and looks close to tears and it rips Tony up. “We’ve been together for two years, Tony.”

Tony cringes and tries to do the math and figure out when exactly their anniversary was. His shoulders sag when he realizes he really doesn’t know. Days just fade in and out of each other. Anymore, Tony has the hardest time remembering the day of the week, let alone events.

“I’m sorry.” Tony tries. “I love you, Bucky. I really do. Please believe me. I’m just not good at remembering to do that stuff. I get lost in my work is all.”

Tony tries to hand the takeout over and Bucky just shoves it back at him and grips the door, closing it halfway. Tony’s heart clenches in his chest while his stomach drops out. He swallows, nervous, and tries to collect himself.

“I’m done, Tony. I can’t keep playing second fiddle here.” Bucky’s grinding his teeth like he does when he’s upset.

Tony feels tears gathering in his eyes and he croaks out, “You don’t mean that.”

“You’ll be fine, Tony.” Bucky laughs humorously, “You’ll forget about it soon enough. I hope it’s worth it because I’m obviously not.”

Then the door closes and Tony is left there, staring at the door with Chinese for two in his hands, and broken. He should have tried harder. Tony couldn’t even blame Bucky. He’s big enough to admit that he wasn’t the best boyfriend in the world.

So he went to talk to Rhodey, holding back tears the entire way.

-

Bucky was working on his English homework when he got the call.

_“James Barnes? This is the Webster County Hospital. We have you listed as Tony Stark’s Emergency Contact. I’m calling to inform you that he was involved in an accident and is currently in our burn unit.”_

Shock, real and intense lit up his spine and had him rolling out of bed, frantically putting clothes on and trying desperately to find his wallet and keys. He had always figured that he’d get this call one day or another. Tony was accident prone and the nature of his experiments had always been the source of Bucky’s nightmares.

He couldn’t believe he was still Tony’s ICE, though. Well, it makes more sense than originally thought considering Tony’s ability to forget to do anything.

Regardless, Bucky couldn’t just stay home. He still loved Tony in the most painful of ways and he knew that the only people who would show up if they could were Rhodey and Pepper. He knew for a fact that Rhodey was busy with AIT and Pepper was still at her internship with a branch of Stark Industries. Tony’s dad wouldn’t show and Bucky had a fairly recent postcard from Maria on her trip in the Cape.

He was all Tony had.

Bucky’s heart went out to Tony. His mind wandered, hailing down a cab with an absent wave of the hand before getting in.

Maybe he’d been too hard on Tony. He may have had dwelled on the bad things too long and forgotten the good. Like how sweet he could be. Or the fact that Tony was so heartbreakingly loyal that it would probably get him killed someday.

Sure, he forgot anniversaries and yeah, maybe he was bad at using the phone but now that Bucky has had time to think about it maybe he hadn’t tried as hard as he could have.

Before he knew it he was at the Hospital’s front desk, getting the information down for Tony’s room. He went through the motions, almost in a haze, and found Tony.

Bucky’s heart lurched in his chest at the sight of him. Tony was hooked up to a series of wires and tubes, bruises blooming across tanned skin and bandages wrapped around his chest and leg. He appeared to be sleeping. Bucky entered, and the sound of the door rousing Tony.

“Bucky?”

Bucky moved in close and grabbed Tony’s good hand lightly, “I’m so sorry, Tony.”

“Wha for?”

“I knew what I was getting myself into when we got together.” Bucky smiles down at Tony and moves some of his dark hair out of his face. “You belong in a lab, doll. It was unfair of me to ask you to leave it.”

Tony wets his lips and smiles up at Bucky, “You are worth it, though, Bucky. I can try.”

“No. I’m going to meet you halfway.” He laughs, rubbing his thumb across Tony’s knuckles, “I could sit with you in the lab. I could bring you food, make sure you stay hydrated.” Tony groans and Bucky laughs again, “You have to drink water, dummy.”

“Does this mean we’re back together?” Tony stares up at Bucky through a haze of morphine and smiles as Bucky nods. “I missed you.”

Bucky smiles back, “I missed you, too. Can I kiss you?”

“Please.”

Bucky leans over and kisses every inch of Tony’s face that isn’t covered in bruises and burns before kissing him, light and soft on the lips. He pulls away then, just enough to look into his eyes.

“You’re worth the trouble, Tony.”

Tony smirks, “Trouble _is_ my middle name.”

“It is _not_. But it may as well be.”

The look of pure love and adoration Tony gives Bucky is enough to fill his heart near to bursting.


End file.
